Bruce LewisReseñas

The Red Flock was not a book that kept me guessing and is a novel that can be read as a standalone, I did not have to take any notes, and I sat back to enjoy the story! Too many greedy people wanted the collection of illustrated books that were painted eons ago and were worth millions. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!

abuse, triggers, theft, books, addiction, addictive-behaviors, family, family-drama, family-dynamics, multigenerational, multicultural, violence, hatred, suspense, priceless, thriller****
The triggers are unchecked personal violence, deep hatred, and serial generational chemical addictions. Not a good fit for ER personnel, family counselors, or police detectives to read at the end of the day. As I spent most of my career dealing with these things and the wreckage left behind, I was unable to finish the book. Too emo for me. The policework seemed as good as it could be.
I requested and received an EARC from Black Rose Writing via NetGalley.

Thank you to the librarything program for allowing me to read this book for free
I'm not sure how I feel about this book.
The story was interesting and well-paced until 3/4. I think the finale was very rushed. I get that at that point there was not much else to say, but the time jumps made it feel rushed. Also, what I thought would be the main subject was clouded by everything else going on, so it didn't feel like we were discussing the main reason why things were the way they were in the first place. I feel like all the events could have happened easily without the reasons the author presents. I just think it could have more center stage and not just be mentioned at the beginning and end of the story. Also, what about the dogs? I want to know about the dogs AND what is it with the "hey girlfriend" between Meg and Kim? I don't believe many girl friends treat each other in this manner.

Unlike the last mobile vet mystery I read...oh, wait--there are no others! Bruce Lewis's characters and plot are unique and he kenneled me into a weekend of reading with Bloody Paws. Ethical dilemmas, dark humor, and suspense--what more could you ask for? Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Unlike the last mobile vet mystery I read...oh, wait--there are no others! Bruce Lewis's characters and plot are unique and he kenneled me into a weekend of reading with Bloody Paws. Ethical dilemmas, dark humor, and suspense--what more could you ask for? Looking forward to reading more from this author.

This was my first book that I have read from Bruce Lewis and I was pleasantly surprised. He utilized smart, witty writing along with clever story telling. I also appreciated the clear ending that sewed it all up nicely.

The format for his writing was unusual in that there were numbered sections within each chapter, but I supposed that will make readers that are easily distracted better able to focus on the pages and the writing. The writer also tended to switch from character to character very quickly which at times was hard to follow.

That all said, it was still an interesting read that was enjoyable.

I was provided with an advance copy of this book for my honest review.

I picked this book up because the premise intrigued me. There's no easier way to get a mystery fan in the book business to read your book than to write a biblio mystery. In this case the crime is the theft of Curtis' North American Indian, a famous, and extremely expensive piece of Americana. Bloody Pages generally gets the underlying facts of the book and of the book world correct, so I did not find myself struggling through a bunch of factual errors. Instead I struggled with the confusing behavior of almost everyone on the large cast.

It feels like nothing they do is something a real human being would do, from shouting "You've killed me!" when getting your neck slashed, to calling their spouses by their (different) last names like they're buddy cops instead of a married couple, to the whole motive behind the crime to begin with.

At one point a character comes into a restaurant and it's described like so:"Nino Parducci saw Detective Jansen approaching the front door of his restaurant. She was moving quickly, her jacket swinging open, revealing her badge and gun. Parducci grabbed the door and yanked it open, as if Jansen might crash through the glass like super woman. 'The man you are looking for is in the back,' said Parducci. 'Thanks,' she said, moving around the counter and into the dining area. 'Don’t get up,' she admonished, pushing the man back into his seat. Nearby diners appeared startled at the appearance of an armed Portland Police Bureau detective issuing a warning. To their shock, she grabbed the man behind the head and pulled him into a kiss. 'I love you, Briggs,' she said, following with a hug. He hugged her back. She looked around and told other diners that he was her husband. There was a collective sigh of relief."

Who does this? The story goes on to explain that Jansen does this every time she shares a meal out with her husband. The intention does not appear to be to make her seem like a complete weirdo. All of the characters behave in similarly weird ways that call to mind B movie scripts.

There are a handful of moments where the author seems to realize he's written something that doesn't make much sense and just decides to keep it in. Take for example this moment in the same scene, as Jansen is ordering from this restaurant. "'I’ve got your favorite, detective. Spaghetti and meatballs. The sauce is made of sauteed baby spinach, plum tomatoes, and marinara.' He had described the menu item as if Jansen hadn’t ordered it a dozen times before."

The author seems to know that if Jansen goes to this restaurant all the time and the waiter knows her well that his behavior is odd, but rather than change the line he just acknowledges that yeah, that was kind of weird, and moves on.

At one point a character goes up to a guy performing a Native American chant and goes "Siri, identify the music," which is where I finally lost it. A couple of instances of this and it's quirky behavior. Everyone doing stuff like this all the time and it's a mess.

The weirdness of everyone's behavior has an effect on the quality of the mystery. We as readers already have all the answers as we're taken along for the crime at the beginning of the book. We can therefore see how every move the players make after is either dumb or contrived. For example, a suspect is brought in to be interrogated. He's told that he is a suspect because he walks with a cane, and that he is extra suspicious because he does not currently have a cane on his person. He insists that he didn't need it at the moment and that the cane was in his car. One might think that either the suspect, who feels incentivized to prove his innocence, or the detective, who is trying to figure out the case, might then decide to go out to the car and see if the cane is actually there. This does not occur to anyone and the story moves along with the detective thinking that this suspect is extra suspicious because he did not have his cane at the station, a detail that comes up again and again after. The more I read the more I got the sense that rather than observing a battle of wits between the detectives and the criminals I was watching a contest to see who was the most idiotic of them all.

Somehow, despite all this, I was entertained. Perhaps not in the way that the author intended, but this book was just so silly that I ended up having fun looking forward to what stupid thing someone would do next, and by the end of the book there were some serious doozies.

I could not finish this novel. I really tried as well. The first third is fairly well written, aside from the strange way every POV character in the book in introduced with a dream sequence. At first this was a bit trivial, but by the sixth one, it was over the top and just boring. But my real problem was the wooden dialog that occurs with the main Kim Jansen character (she didn't show up in the first third by the way).
There was also a feeling that the author needed to make everyone as damaged as possible. None of the characters, well maybe 95% of them, are severely damaged emotionally and psychologically. I understand that we read stories about people in crisis, but those are typically the antagonists in a book like this. The protagonists, while damaged, don't have a litany of issues and horrific back stories that they are dealing with as well. Maybe I'm blind to it elsewhere, or exceptionally lucky, but this many people aren't this damaged within this small of a cast.
There is also pretty horrific scene of domestic abuse against a woman and child that opens the book that really had me cringing. I regularly read horror and I think it was so shocking simply because of its placement at the beginning of the book. Had it been buried a little bit it may not have hit as hard, but opening into it was a ballsy move.
So all in all I'm left with a not great book which is a shame, because I have definitely read much worse than the first third of this novel. But I couldn't finish past the halfway mark. Sorry.½

#153. [Bloody Pages], [[Bruce Lewis]]

Photographer Edward Curtis published “ The North American Indian” however not all the photos had been taken by him although he took the credit. From 1924 to 1930 William Byrne was one of his photographic assistants and he took many of the photos. Curtis’ behaviour created a situation in the Byrne family which is called intergenerational violence - the abused becomes the abuser. It took three generations and much physical and mental suffering for it to be recognized and stopped.

Colin Byrne finds his grandfather’s journals and finally realizes how the anger started. He has an idea of stealing the 1924-30 volumes of Curtis’ book from the Portland Public Library Rare Book Room. He doesn’t plan to sell them, the complete set is worth three million, but to use them to highlight abuse in some way. His plan is vague. He convinces a friend to steal them but the great amount of planning does not work. A security guard is severely injured and the police are involved. In some ways what follows is a comedy of errors before an arrest is finally made.

As each new character is added their background information ends in having them wake from a nightmare. Why is final revealed at the end of the book. I was just tired of nightmares and thought the author could have come up with some other behaviour.

The introductions and the planning makes the pace of the book slow and in some cases repetitive. The editor slipped up on a number of occasions where there is an extra word in a sentence. An example is “… we will put it back on display it for the public’s enjoyment.” Having edited books I know things creep in but when it is the same problem it should be caught. It is book two in a series but reads well as a stand alone. Overall what stands out for me is the information on intergenerational violence.

I received this book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program.

📚📚📚

Bloody Pages by Bruce Lewis is his follow up Kim Jansen novel to Bloody Paws. The crime centers on the thief of seven volumes of The North American Indian from a local Oregon library. I found it a interesting crime novel with well written backstories. At just under 200 pages it’s also a quick read.

I have to be honest here, I could not read past the fourth chapter, and the main detective hasn't even been introduced yet. The first chapter punches you in the gut with a violent abuse scene, but then puts on the brakes and drags along after that. Both chapters 1 and 2 starts with a nightmare in order to give information on the 2 characters' pasts. Using nightmares as a window to the past is fine, in moderation, not twice in a row. To add to that, it doesn't seem there was an editor involved, as no editor worth their weight in salt would let this book go to publishing like this. The overuse of the word said, the spelling errors, and run-on sentences make it seem choppy, not to mention the poor conversation writing. It took too long to get to the main plot of the story, and honestly, I got bored. The plot is good, in and of itself, but needed to be run through another round of editing before being put out. I would be extremely unhappy to pay full price for this book as it stands.

The plots are quite attractive at first and kept me going on initially. But the further I read the more I wanted to put it down. All the characters are not really likeable and being weird in this or that way. A history professor who jumped the queue of the homeless who were waiting for free vet service for their dogs, and told the vet about why he was in town and his job and blahs while the vet checked his dog (so that this vet could tell his detective wife about this professor when she said this prof is a suspect of a crime she is investigating! How convenient!). This detective wife flirted with her vet husband and then raised their voices in a restaurant that made everyone turned their head (why such a scene is needed?). And a vineyard owner who asked his old college roommate, who was broke and addicted to gambling, to steal valuable books from public library instead of buying them from auctions or black markets (well this is the premise of the story).

Oh and everyone has vivid and repeated nightmares (to show their backstories...)

I gave up around 2/3 of the book... so I don't know the ending (maybe its good, who knows?).

I received a copy of the book as a LibraryThing Review Winner.

Very well written book about inter generation violence and it’s consequences. I had never read anything by this author but would absolutely read more. Enjoyed this book very much.

Review of eBook

A survivor of his father’s brutal beatings, Colin Byrne is now a wealthy vintner. Haunted by nightmares of his father’s savage attack that cost him an eye, Colin often wonders why his father had beaten him with such rage. The discovery of his great-grandfather’s hidden journals reveals a long-held family secret that gives Colin the answer he thought he’d never receive . . . an answer that sends him into a rage.

Portland Police Bureau Detective Kim Jansen, sent to investigate an attack on a guard at the Central branch of the Multnomah County Library, discovers the theft of several volumes rare books. The perpetrator had no difficulty accessing the library’s rare book room [which housed the John Wilson Special Collections] and making off with the rare volumes. As Jansen searches for the thief, contradictory evidence hampers her investigation.

Ultimately, when several suspects emerge, will she find the thief? And why would anyone steal only a portion of a priceless series?

=========

Although “Bloody Pages” is the second book in the Detective Kim Jansen series [following “Bloody Paws”], it works well as a stand-alone with sufficient backstory for readers new to the series. A strong sense of place, believable characters, an intriguing plot, and some unforeseen twists all combine to keep the pages turning.

Readers know both the identity of the thief and the reason for his actions, but the overriding motivation remains hidden until late in the telling of the tale. This, however, does not lessen the suspense that builds throughout the narrative.

With several cringeworthy scenes that are dark, grim, and brutal, the author speaks to the consequences of intergenerational violence, shining a light on the essential need for addressing the cycle of trauma and cruelty. Although the passages are integral to the unfolding story, readers are likely to find them difficult to read.

Recommended, especially for readers who enjoy police procedurals.

I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program

Bloody Paws by Bruce Lewis 2 stars

I just did not enjoy this book. The characters were unrealistic, the dialogue was stilted and everything was so overwrought and dramatic. I couldn't figure out who everybody was and why they did the dumb things they did. I can see there is a book in here but it just didn't come together for me. I received a copy for review-this is my own opinion.

Some books can terrify you because you can believe that they can actually happen. This is one of them. A strong and intriguing story line that is well played out but gets a bit mushy 3/4 into the book by the male detective. Bruce Lewis did a great job of getting you into the story but the ending was rushed and certain explanation should of been played out instead of quickly run over. But still looking forward to see what the next book will bring.

Survivor's story of life in the Second World War bombers. Eyewitness accounts of the tension and excitement of flying missions over Nazi Germany. Author, Bruce Lewis himself was a veteran of 36 operations as a Wireless Operator in Lancasters with 101 Squadron
describes the responsibilities of the pilot, navigator, flight engineer, co-pilot, bomb aimer and gunner to tell the story of the men who flew the bombers.

The British and American bomber crews of the Second World War often had to endure the most terrifying conditions. Not for them the glorious all-or-nothing exhilaration of the Battle of Britain pilots - rather, the slow dwindling of courage as mission followed mission, the long, freezing, ear-shattering journey to the target, the busting flak, the prowling night fighters; then, if they were lucky, the long haul home, sometimes nursing a battered, barely flyable machine, often perilously short of fuel.

This was an interesting idea. Find four men who served in the armed forces of 4 of the main combatants. Interview them about their experiences. The stories are riveting and clearly show the ugliness of war. The American flier & the British paratrooper had the added experience of being prisoners of war and their descriptions of the brutality & deprivation suffered by the prisoners in the German POW camps is a bonus. The Italian's story is a refreshingly different take on the war experience. He did everything he could to avoid fighting but he did fight honourably and with great bravery. The description of how he led his men all the way across Europe from Poland to Italy without a fight is missing from his chapter and would have made a very interesting addition. I was also perturb by the sudden ending to the German tank driver's experiences. Even though the War is over, he is still helping the Nazi cause by tipping off hiding Nazi officials that the Allied authorities were closing in on them. When did he finally realize the Hitler had misled him?